ABSTRACT
Probiotic bacteria have been deœned in many ways by different people but perhaps the most widely used and accepted deœnition is proposed by Fuller (1992) according to which probiotics are living microorganisms which when ingested have beneœcial effects on the host by improving the physiological functions of the intestinal micro“ora. Another deœnition has been provided by Havenaar and Huis In’t Veld (1992), which explains probiotics as “a preparation of or a product containing viable, deœned microorganisms in sufœcient numbers, which alter the microbiota (by implantation or colonization) in a compartment of the host and by that exert beneœcial health effects in this host.” Probiotics have also been deœned as “live microbes which transit the gastro-intestinal tract and in doing so beneœt the health of the consumer” (Tannock et al. 2000), which contradicts the earlier deœ- nitions focusing only on the interactions between the probiotic organisms and the original intestinal
17.1 Background ...........................................................................................................................269 17.1.1 Deœnition of Probiotics .............................................................................................269 17.1.2 Probiotics and Health Beneœts .................................................................................. 270 17.1.3 Application of Probiotics and Their Market Potential .............................................. 270
17.2 Stabilization of Probiotics..................................................................................................... 272 17.2.1 Stabilization Using Desiccation/Dehydration Technologies .................................... 272
17.2.1.1 Freeze Drying ............................................................................................ 272 17.2.1.2 Spray Drying .............................................................................................. 274 17.2.1.3 Fluidized Bed Drying ................................................................................ 274 17.2.1.4 Vacuum Drying .......................................................................................... 276 17.2.1.5 Mixed/Two-Step Drying Systems ............................................................. 276
17.2.2 Stabilization by Encapsulation ................................................................................. 276 17.2.2.1 Encapsulating Materials ............................................................................ 277 17.2.2.2 Encapsulation Technologies .......................................................................285
